The Symposium on Skin Biology and Innovations in Dermatology took place in Juan Les Pins on 22nd March 2003. It was hosted and organized by Virbac, world leader in veterinary dermatology, to give active support to the development of clinical veterinary dermatology.

The 12 speakers of the Symposiom came from France, U.K. and Germany. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Dr.h.c. Hans Koch, President of the European College of Veterinary Dermatology - Germany.

PART 4: DESIGNING A NEW RANGE OF TOPICAL PRODUCTS:
THE ALLERMYL STORY

The purpose of the Symposium was to review and summarise the present status of scientific knowledge in comparative immuno-dermatology and clinical researches on atopic dermatitis. Special emphasis was given to new innovations and developments, such as novel galenic formulations of topical products for the treatment of hyper-reactive skin.

The goals of the Symposium were:

to present a forum for the discussion of recent results and ideas among colleagues from practice and academia together with human dermatologists, scientists and researchers from the pharmaceutical industry;

to facilitate communication and information sharing among leaders in the field; and

to share `lessons learned` from others and explore how they can be applied to advance the discipline.

The stature of those participating in this Symposium ensured a most successful meeting and excellent interaction. Everybody enjoyed the high level of competence as well as the delightful ambiance provided with professionalism and passion by the hosting company Virbac.

It is hoped that the presentations and proceedings will contribute to the advancement of veterinary dermatology throughout the world.